Aliens in Middle Earth
by cdcase
Summary: What can I say? LOTR/Lilo&Stitch crossover! Only during Two Towers Yes, it's totally possible! Pilot chapter up. Please R&R!
1. Middle Ages has More Adventure

Crossover: _Lord of the Rings the Two Towers/ Lilo and Stitch._

Disclaimer: I do not own _Lord of the Rings_ or _Lilo and Stitch_.

Summary: Lilo and Stitch are fooling around in space when their ship malfunctions, engaging the hyperdrive in a very dangerous area. Galaxies from their home, they end up on a strange but beautiful planet whose inhabitants seem to be living in a medieval-like era. The two, not wanting to perish in this strange place, decide to stick with a particular group of travelers until they find a way back home.

And yes, this crossover is only going to consist of the Two Towers. For the most part, it will be book verse. However, there _will _be some movie parts…like, if some movie dialog was incorporated into book scenes. Or something.

_Don't know what _Lilo and Stitch_ is?_ It's a story about a little Hawaiian girl and an alien 'monster' named Stitch. It is about accepting people (or aliens) for who they are, despite what they look like. In this fic, it takes place a few years after _Leroy and Stitch_ (I placed her at _13 years old_), where Lilo is the United Galactic Federation's ambassador as designated in the final movie.

_Don't know what _Lord of the Rings_ is?_ It's an epic fantasy about a group of heroes that need to save their Middle Earth from enslavement and destruction by an evil Dark Lord. So called evil has no physical body, but the inhabitants seem to feel his presence in anything that is opposite of good. The Two Towers is when the heroes are separated, trying to save a country from the aggressive and ruthless army of the bad guys.

_Can you see a conflict already?_ Yep. In _LOTR_, mostly anything that is evil is also _visually_ hideous. The only thing devious is the beautifully crafted weapon of the Dark Lord, which takes it form in a golden ring. In _Lilo and Stitch_, this is definitely not the case: it could be said that the first movie never had a villain, only the prejudice of something that appears different from the rest. In fact later on, the main villain of the TV series appears as a _cute_ little hamster-type alien.

Yes! This crossover can be done! [It's not the strangest of crossovers with _LOTR_ I've read…]

So, with that out of the way: Read and Review!

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"Stitch, I dunno where we are. At all." A contemplative pause. "Uncle Dr. Jumba wouldn't have happened to implant a distress beacon on you..?"

An inhuman reply came. "_Eyah…naga_."

"That's too bad."-+-

"_Sar-wei, Lilo_."

"Don't be, it's okay. We'll just have to be resourceful—like how we learned at camp," the teenage girl saying this looked around the open, grassy plane. Her long black hair blew in the valley's wind, sweeping it about like a dark maelstrom. Her red sundress contrasted brightly against the green of the area, making her feel like a trigger fish trying to hide in sand.

More odd, however, was the little creature that crept beside her. Small, furry, and a vibrant blue, it had two great ears picking up the tiniest sounds from all across the prairie. Even now, they turned and adjusted about his head, trying to distinguish the foreign melody of the strange place. Jet black eyes squinted against the brightness of the sun, looking over the horizon.

Leagues of grassland spread about two weary travelers. All around them, the blades waved in the wind, their waxy leaflets creating steady undulations in the sea of green. White clouds rapidly formed and collapsed overhead, rolling across the sky. Their shadows were at a persistent place behind, following their casters over the planes and hills. These clouds disappeared beyond the great, snow-peaked purple mountain ranges to the south.

The world looked repetitive at the moment: grass, hills, mountain, sky. However, the only inconsistency in the scenery was towards the west. If they strained their eyes, they could see dark looming peaks. Above this range were ominous-looking dark and fiery clouds.

Why were their dark, unfaltering clouds in which the bottoms reflected some sort of infernal activity? Why did these clouds never move on to be gloomy in some other place? It meant adventuring to find the answers to these questions.

"Let's go there," the girl, Lilo, pointing to the obviously menacing clouds.

Stitch didn't need his extraordinary alien senses to tell that the indicated directed was not the safest way to go. "_Naga, naga_," he protested, shaking his head from side to side. He pulled at the bottom of her dress.

"Why not?" she asked, her eyes widening. "It could be a volcano—like we have in Hawaii. Remember when we took you to Mt. Kilauea? You were surfing on the lava! Maybe we can do that again."

Stitch still did not let her go. Stubbornly, he planted his feet firmly on the ground, preventing Lilo from moving any further.

"_Stitch!" _she warned. "Let me go!"

"_Naga_!"

"Yes!"

"_Naga_!"

"Well, why not?"

"_It's dangerous_!" he struggled to pronounce. For some reason, the 'e'-like sound was still a tough vowel to break.

"Great, now you're acting like _Nani_," the little girl rolled her eyes at her friend. That was one thing she hated about being a kid—always having to listen to adult even though they were _stupid_. And now her own best friend—an alien who almost knew nothing of Earth culture—was telling her what to do!

She was about to protest again when she noticed Stitch's expression. He seemed tense. Which was weird, considering he usually reveled whenever he visited a new place. But this world was different—there was a wary stillness, a tension in the air, as if something big was about to take place. Stitch had seemed to pick up on this feeling since they had first arrived, but only now did Lilo get it.

"Oh, _alright_. We'll no go that way," she relented.

Stitch let out a breath, letting go of her dress. Then, he was on all fours, sniffing the ground and the air. He waved for her to follow, and she did. Lilo trusted he knew where he was going, and that above all else he was leading with their safety in mind. He kept on pausing, looking around, and then following a path—like he couldn't quite tell what the scent was yet, or he was smelling something for the first time.

Suddenly, he seemed to get the notion of what the scent was. He barred his fangs, growling and spiting. His narrow black eyes squinted to a darker patch of grass too far ahead for Lilo to see. But before she could get a better look at what it was, he immediately pulled her in a different direction.

"Stitch—_Stitch!_" she said, looking at his tight grip on her small wrist. Sometimes he didn't know his strength, even after all this time.

The alien paused, realizing his error. He released her, slumping to the ground. It looked like a _gazillion _neurons in his intelligent brain were all firing, trying to formulate different courses of action all at once.

"Nani says that if you think too fast, the plan won't be as good," she consoled, sitting down next to him. She started picking at the blades of grass. She knew that she was only a kid and that he was more than just a pet. Though she'd barely admit it, there were times where Stitch seemed more of an adult than she did—which was amazing since she was probably the most mature person in the state. "Let me help you think. First, we'll answer what we do know."

Stitch's earls piqued at her consideration.

"Well, we know how we got here," she chuckled. "We were playing around with the hyper drive in a—a—what was it called again?"

"_Unstable space-density sector_," he offered. "_Engine destroyed_."

"Right," she nodded, not fully understanding. One day, she promised, she would understand all the alien terminology. After all, it was her duty as the Earth's ambassador to the Galactic Council. "And I'm pretty sure we landed in some trees, but when we woke up," here she rubbed the back of her head, "the space ship was gone."

Stitch pulled out something from his mouth—a sort of voice-video transmitting device. It fit in the palm of his hand, with a little antenna extending from the top.

"You have a transmitter?" she exclaimed, not surprised that he had swallowed it for safekeeping.

"_No work_." To demonstrate, he pressed the call button. The screen showed only grey static and white noise. "But I will k_ee_p on 'distress'." Flipping a side switch from 'talk' to 'distress signal', he replaced it in his mouth and swallowed.

"…You know how convenient—yet _really_ gross—that is?"

He gave a toothy grin.

"Right, well, let's answer that next question," she placed her head on her hands, thinking.

Stitch stirred beside her saying, "_Where are we_?"

"In the middle of a field? It's definitely not Hawaii, though," she shuddered as a cool breeze swept across the area again. She suddenly felt how thin the cloth was on the sundress.

"_We need keep walking_," Stitch said, getting to his feet. "_Follow_."

Lilo nodded, and began keeping pace with her friend.

They traveled for what seemed like miles and hours. The sun reached its zenith, making their shadows almost disappear. Lilo's stomach growled on emptiness and thirstiness. On the other hand, Stitch seemed to carry on like it was nothing, trudging though the tall grass with a hard determination to put as much distance as possible between the foreboding clouds and them. Where in the world did he get all that energy?

More hours passed by, and still they did not stop. Lilo's steps became more shuffled as she dragged her feet out of tiredness. She blinked warily as the sun cast golden rays. The mountains it set behind casted shadows that covered the entire field. At that moment, she wished she was on the beach again, sitting with her family—her _ohana. _It would have been a warm night, with a large full moon tide and calm ocean that blended into the sky.

She wondered what Nani was doing—if she was worried Lilo was gone. How frantic would she be this time in her search for her little sister? Or worse—for how long would Lilo be grounded when she got back home?

"Ah—_ouch!" _Lilo cried as she tripped over a twig, falling right on her face.

Stitch finally stopped in his trek to turn back to his fried. "_Lilo…alright_?"

"Yeah, just tired," she said as he helped her back up.

He looked around twice. They were at the edge of a dense forest. The trees roots spread out in tangles, their branches shielded the scarce night light so that the deep woods looked completely black. The trunks themselves were as old and dense as the ones she had seen in Hawaii. Whereas back at her home the trees were vibrant and tropical, these appeared aloof like they themselves were wary of visitors in their woods.

"_This place good for rest_," he said curtly. Quickly, he began gathering dead branches. "_Need fire_."

Lilo shivered; heat would be nice. She followed, sticking close to her friend. It was getting dark quick—she did not want to be separated. The native Hawaiian bent down and reached for a medium sized branch, only to realize she couldn't pull it free from the ground. She cocked her head, thinking. Perhaps it was a root? She decided to try lifting it one more time—and was pushed over.

"Stitch!" she said angrily.

"_What_?"

"You just knocked me over. Apologize!"

"_Naga I didn't_."

"Yes you—ah!" This time, something swept her off her feet. She fell flat on her rear, but quickly got to her feet once again.

"_It wasn't me_!"

"Ah, but…," she breathed, looking around frantically, but only finding similar large roots and branches typical of the forest. Lilo shook her head and decided to leave the root. Like Stitch, she decided to only stick to already dead pieces of tree. An hour or so later they were done and it was properly nighttime. Their branch-gathering had led them farther into the forest than she had initially thought.

"_Enough twigs_," Stitch said, coming around an especially old tree, holding ten times his weight in dried, fire-ready braches. In the night, his dark eyes reflected the scarcest of light. How Lilo wished she had his night vision—every other step she tripped!

Since Stitch had plenty of dried branches, Lilo dropped her insignificant pile and followed him back towards the edge of the woods. There was a golden flicker of light just up ahead. Lilo squinted her eyes, trying to make out its source. Was it a lantern of some sort? Or perhaps it was an irregularly flashing emergency light on a space ship. Her heart beat faster.

Right beside her, Stitch remained calm, carefully walking forward with his cargo. He also seemed to notice the dim light; no doubt he already knew what it was. Judging from his relaxed manner, whatever the light source came from, it wasn't threatening.

They grew closer to the source. Lilo started to make out three distinct shapes: adult, human in looks. They were gathered around a rather humble fire, too small even for one man. She wondered why it was so small, even though the night was chilly. But it didn't matter to Lilo. Seeing fire made her want to run up and warm herself next to the flames.

She hoped, at least, that the people gathered around their fire would be willing to share. Then Lilo paused in her tracks. What if the three people there were rouges of some sort? What if they were the kind that kidnapped little girls, like the ones that Nani had warned her about? Lilo looked at Stitch. Stitch looked back questioningly.

"_You safe with Stitch_," he reassured.

Lilo smiled and looked back at the campfire scene. But now one of the sitting figures was standing, seeming to look in their direction. Even under the cover of the night and the shadow of the forest, she felt like she was being watched under the clearest of days. The figure seemed to speak to the other two forms around the fire. Then, the second and third forms stood, all facing their direction.

Stitch stood still as well. The figures rustled—it was too dark for Lilo to see, but it appeared as if one form was pulling out a device. At this motion, Stitch let out a low growl. Lilo's heart skipped a beat. It was rare now-a-days that he barred his teeth.

All of a sudden, the figures extinguished the fire, pitching Lilo's world into pure darkness. Her breath caught in her throat. Not only was it dark, but it was silent. The forest did not make any living sound; there were to chirping crickets or buzz of insects, only a deep silence. She thought she heard two sets of foot falls coming from the direction of where the figures had been: one was short, heavy, but quick; the other was more subtle with longer strides. But where was the sound of the third figure? Perhaps that one stayed behind.

Lilo couldn't see Stitch and neither could she hear his breath. He was probably holding it to be as silent as possible. Perhaps she should try to do the same. Steadily, she calmed herself, leveling her breathing to an imaginary breeze.

The next second, she felt a hand on her arm, which made her yelp. So much for being quiet in the darkness. At the same time, she felt relief at recognizing Stitch's grip. Though she couldn't see him, she could tell he was being extremely cautious. Lilo listened for the figures' footsteps but couldn't make out any sound. She doubted that they left.

Lilo frowned. This was getting her nowhere. It was obvious that the figures had the advantage; otherwise, they wouldn't have bothered to extinguish the flame if they weren't sure of their abilities to navigate in the dark. If Lilo and Stitch needed to run, she had no doubt that Stitch could at least carry her away. Furthermore, it was better to begin fleeing when she still knew that the figures were farther away and not directly upon them.

So, Lilo decided to try speaking with the figures.

"Aloha."

Stitch squeezed her arm in annoyance. Clearly, he didn't want her speaking. Lilo shook him off.

"Hey, I don't know what you guys want—but we're lost," Lilo tried again. She hoped that didn't sound suspicious. Her voice clearly echoed back to her, sounding oddly frightened and young. "Maybe you can give us some directions, and we'll be on our way."

"Why is a little girl such as yourself away from your mother?" a curious, untrusting, but at the same time gentle, voice said.

"I don't have a mom," it slipped out before she could stop herself. _Then _she realized that the voice came from directly behind her. "Ah!"

How did he creep upon her so silently without her knowing? She stumbled once again, but the body that she guessed belonged to the voice caught her with a sturdy grip. She tried to wrestle herself free. "Lemme go!" But his grip was strong—a bit strange for the rather slender arms that held her. "S-Stitch!"

She heard her friend let out a menacing growl. Beside her face she felt a _whoosh_ of breeze as Stitch leapt into the air towards her captor. But the man who held her let go to avoid Stitch's tackle just in time. And Lilo ran.

Unfortunately, she didn't make it too far, for one of the other figures caught her, a large, callused hand clamped over her mouth. She tried to yell, but only exhausted herself trying to get a decent amount of air into her lungs.

A gruff voice whispered, "Calm yourself. We won't hurt you." He paused, letting Lilo breathe easier. "Call off your beast."

Lilo's chest hurt. Stitch probably heard him say 'beast.' For a creature that just wanted to be accepted, a name like that must hurt dearly. She felt for him. Lilo's eyes began to water, thinking of her friend and how it must feel to be labeled as a monster once again. She shook off the almost-tears, turning her sadness into anger at the unknown men who were prejudice against creatures that looked different.

Thinking about the situation, she decided the best course was to go along with the mystery figures. Still in the man's grip, she slowly nodded. Carefully, he lifted his hand off her mouth. "Stitch. C'mon over here, boy." She hoped that work.

The rustling of four legs on leaves was the sound that belonged to Stitch as he made his way over to Lilo. Now at her holder, he let out an almost nonexistent back of the throat growl. It was threatening enough to make Lilo's captor hesitate for the briefest of moments.

Another rustle of leaves off to the side was heard, and a gruffer voice spoke. "Is everything settled yet? We must sleep to aptly continue our trek tomorrow."

"No, not quite yet." It was the first voice. Once again, he was right beside Lilo without her knowing of it. Perhaps he could fly? That would explain why she didn't hear his footsteps.

Lilo wished they were out of the forest—at least then she would have some starlight for vision.

"You may start the fire again," said the one still holding Lilo by the arm to the stout, third man. His grip was loosened, but still had a sturdy enough hand to keep her still. She did not doubt he would be able to break her tiny bone if he really wanted to. The man led Lilo, with Stitch following close behind, towards the edge of the forest. A moment later, the fire was back up again, providing enough light to illuminate the three strangers.

The one who lit the fire was shorter than the other two, with a great red beard he seemed to take pride in. His face was more aged that the other two, but the wrinkles were that of laughter. A menacing axe was strapped to a great belt he wore at his waist. In contrast, the second figure appeared to be a slender young man with fair skin and hair. His walk was as nimble as a gazelle's. There was something else that was different about these two, but Lilo couldn't quite put her finger on it.

The last one, the one who still held Lilo, had kept his hood up. It shielded his eyes and most of his face, so she couldn't quite get a look. He seemed to be older than Lilo's sister, but younger than her parents when they passed away.

All three stranger were clothed in the oddest fashion—dim grays, greens, browns on tunics, splattered with mud and some other dark brown substance Lilo guessed was blood. It made her stomach turn. The cloth was thicker material than her dress, reminder her how cold the night was. She was glad the fire was up. In addition, they all carried heavy, worn, weapons.

As she was examining the three men, they were doing the same to her and Stitch. More so Stitch. When the fire had been lit, they had gotten a better look at the alien. The red-bearded one's hand moved to the hilt of his axe menacingly. "Why are you traveling with such a _fiend_?" he asked gruffly.

Lilo's eyes widened, instantly looking to Stitch. She prayed that he wasn't too offended, but Stitch was obviously angered, extending his black talons. The three looked repulsed to see such an alien.

"Unless," the same one continued, "you are a monster in disguise yourself!"

Lilo's head snapped back to him, glaring. "Hey! That's mean!"

"'Mean' wouldn't even begin to describe the horrors that you monsters have committed."

"I don't know what you're talking about! These are baseless accusations. Where's your proof that we're monsters?"

"No one would dare to venture in the woods alone—unless they were confident in their power to protect themselves," said the fair one calmly.

"I wasn't alone! I had Stitch." She nodded to the blue creature, still tense where he stood. With Lilo being held, he seemed to no want to make any sudden movements, especially since the stranger had such powerful weapons at their disposal.

"That creature speaks more for you _being _a monster yourself," said the one holding Lilo. He spoke rather quietly, but his voice was powerful. "How are you able to control such a thing? Are you some sort of enchanter?"

At the mention of 'enchanter' the other two men stiffened.

"I don't know what you're talking about! I can't control him at all."

"So this is just a rouge beast?"

"No! And stop calling him a monster," Lilo shouted. "You're all bigots!"

They seemed genuinely insulted from her last shout. The man grabbing her squeezed her arm tighter. She could already feel a bruise forming. If this kept up—

Stitch head butted the man in a flash. His push was so hard that he let Lilo go, stumbling backwards. Stitch growled, ready to leap on him again and claw at his face.

"No, Stitch!" Lilo cried, leaping on him before he could do any damage. He squirmed in her embrace, but relented. His fists unclenched, falling limply to his sides. Lilo felt a prickle on the back of her neck. She turned—instantly facing the tip of a strung arrow. When had the fair man brought that out?

Whatever the case, she realized that she was now at point-blank of the deadly weapon. Seeing how surely he handled the bow, she felt it could make as much damage as an anti aircraft missile. A little ways off, the bearded one still hadn't bothered to draw his axe, probably confident in the blonde one's ability. Lilo gulped, holding onto Stitch more out of fright than trying to hold him still.

The man Stitch pushed away stood up, brushing himself off. Lilo looked from one stranger to the next, finally letting her dark eyes fall on the shaft of the arrow. "You would kill a little girl?"

"I would defend my companions," he said quietly.

"You're the ones who are clearly holding us captive," she said, pausing. It just seemed like she was being threatened, but at the same time, she didn't feel as if she would really be shot at. Lilo gambled. Lifting up a tiny arm, she pushed the bow out of her face. The man raised an eyebrow at her bold motion, but relaxed his weapon. The bow and arrow was still out and menacing as ever, but at least now it wasn't trained on Lilo or Stitch.

"You cannot blame us for being testy in these dark times—especially next to such forlorn woods," said the stout one, beady black eyes looking along the trees' canopy. His gaze shifted back to Stitch. "Never before have I seen such a creature."

Lilo defended, "So do you treat anything you see new as a potential enemy?"

"No. I was just referring to how it looks monstrous."

"I think your beard looks monstrous," Lilo shot back.

The man became slightly enraged, but the fairer one extended his arm out to stop him from outright charging Lilo. Lilo, feeling the child in her, stuck out her tongue in triumph. "We must be the mature ones here," the he said to the short, bearded man. This calmed him down, the flare of anger gone as quickly as it came.

"Perhaps you are a _fiend_ in disguise," said the one that was holding Lilo. He looked to the fair man questioningly.

In turn, the blonde one shook his head. "She is not."

"And you are certain?"

"As certain as spring comes every year."

"Then how does this explain her walking around with this creature?"

Lilo was lost when they started talking to each other. Before the fair one could guess at the answer to the last question, Lilo butted in, "Stitch's my friend—that's why I'm walking with him." Lilo grabbed Stitch's hand. "I feel safest when I'm with Stitch. We stick together because we are _ohana_." She paused to see if they recognized the word. "Family."

The mysterious one stood up straight, appearing to be thinking. The blonde one spoke, "So you treat this Stitch as an equal? As in, not as a pet?"

"Yes. He thinks just like you and me—probably thinks even better. But it's hard to tell, 'cuz he's still learning how to communicate what's going on in his head."

"An intelligent monster, then…," he concluded, falling silent.

Lilo narrowed her eyes. "We can all be considered monsters at some point. Stitch is no different."

"You speak of a First Born as a monster?" the dark one said, stepping in.

"First…huh?" Once again, Lilo was lost. She knew she had said something most considered insulting, but why was this other guy defending the fair one?

"Recall what you said," he demanded.

Stitch barred his teeth when the man's tone of voice rose. With Stitch supporting, Lilo said, "No. I meant what I said."

"You are but a child."

Aw, jeez. Not that line again. Lilo realized this was getting nowhere. She looked at the fair one, who was standing with a more emotionless face than the previous semi-friendly one he wore before. "I'm sorry for _offending_ you," she then looked at the other man. "But I won't take it back."

The darker man and the other glanced at each other for a moment. The blonde one gave the faintest of shrugs. The other decided to drop the conversation, instead choosing to look Lilo onceover. He motioned to the fire. "Those clothes you wear speak of a foreign land. Come warm yourself, and tell us about you and your…friend. Then, after knowing more, will we decided if you are friend or foe. For the moment, we must remain cautious. If you cooperate, we will share our resources and fire."

Lilo was grateful for the invitation. She suddenly felt ashamed for behaving so childlike, but hey—she was only thirteen years old. Double digits in age meant more responsibilities, but she still loved to retain that childlike mischievousness from when she was four. She couldn't help it sometimes, but given the situation, she promised she'd try to behave more adult-like.

She and Stitch scurried to the small fire, instantly warming their hands and feet. She rubbed her numb fingers, promoting circulation. Stitch only looked at the burning wood, mesmerized by the raw heat energy like he was during explosions. Lilo turned to the three strangers. "Thank you."

"Do not thank us yet. If you hinder us, we shall leave you behind. If you behave, we can at least promise protection," the hooded one warned.

Lilo paused, thinking over what he said. So, she and Stitch would play prisoner-under-suspicion and in turn receive guidance throughout this foreign land? Strange, but it would work—the best way to know a new planet was though its inhabitants. She wondered from what exactly she needed protection. So far, all she had seen was the landscape. The forest was scary, that was for sure, but she did not see any monsters.

Then again, Lilo thought back to when she and Stitch were first traveling across the plane. Stitch had seemed to anxious back then to get away from the dark-clouded mountains. As she looked from stranger to the next, she realized that the weapons and clothes were well-used. They were not fighting devices for just killing other men or woodland creatures—they appeared much tougher, as if they were designed to fell something more powerful.

Lilo wanted to ask the strangers about their land, and where they would be taking her. However, the three were in conversation, whispering undoubtedly about the two they had picked up. Lilo turned to Stitch. "Hey, Stitch," she began. "What do you think about …this?" She waved her arms to signify the new world.

"…_Planet supports life_," he said slowly.

"Obviously. I was talking about, oh, I dunno—the whole tenseness of our situation."

Stitch pointed to his chest. "_Stitch knows that Stitch make people uncomfortable_." He frowned.

"Only those that are ignorant," Lilo said, patting her friend on his back. His fur had some bits of leaves stuck on him. She proceeded to pluck them out caringly. "Once we gain trust, everything will be fine."

"_Eih_," Stitch nodded.

"So, then…I have a question. What was making you so nervous back when we were traveling across the prairie?" she prodded.

Stitch looked into her brown eyes, worry flashing across his face.

"Please, don't keep things from me—I gotta know."

Stitch still appeared hesitant. He fidgeted. "_Death—stinky death_," he scrunched his nose. "_Smell make Stitch…make Stitch uncomfortable. Don't know what is, but Stitch no like_."

Lilo sat back. She knew of some animals that had an external trigger that would engrave them. Like a bull and the color red, could this smell be the same concept? She placed her hands on his clenched claws. "Don't worry—I won't let you turn bad."

He relaxed. "_Stitch won't let you be hurt by smelly things, either_."

Lilo smiled, turning back to the three strangers. They seemed to have finished conversing a while ago and were now observing her and Stitch. Had they been eavesdropping? "What?" she asked defensively.

"Your friend was affected by the Orcs' corpses?" asked the bearded one.

Corpses? "It's rude to eavesdrop."

"Answer his question," the hooded one said.

Lilo sighed. "It seems so. But maybe it's just enough to make him unsettled. Then again, anyone would be queasy from smelling decay."

The blonde one shook his head in disagreement. "These aren't ordinary carcasses. When they putrefy, they contaminate the earth. In dense concentrations, they affect Men…and I suppose beast."

"We'll just have to be careful, then," Lilo crossed her arms.

"Even when executing caution, the unpredictable can happen, child," said the red bearded one.

"I'm not 'child'," Lilo wanted to kick herself for acting so rude. But she couldn't help it—she was tired and cold and hungry. How she wished to be back in Hawaii, sleeping in her fluffy bed.

"If not 'child', then what shall we call you?" said the hooded one. Lilo deduced that this was the leader—but why? He seemed so stand-off-ish and mean. A leader was supposed to be pleasant and refined, right? "And I heard you call your beast a name as well."

"_My _name is Lilo. And this is _Stitch_—not 'monster' or 'beast'—just Stitch," she answered.

"Lilo…and Stitch," he repeated.

"And what are your names?"

"You may call me Strider," said the man. He reaching back and took off his hood, revealing a face that appeared worn and tired. At the same time, it appeared handsome—if only he took the time to bathe. In the back of her mind, Lilo wondered how awful she must look having traveled all day.

The next to introduce himself was the stout, bearded one. "I am Gimli, son of Gloin."

"Legalos, son of Thranduil," said the last stranger.

"Pleased to meet you, Misters Strider, Gimli, and Legalos." Lilo hoped she would remember their strange names within the next five minutes. She wondered from which language they originated, and for what they stood.

"Your face reads confused," said Strider, tending the fire.

Lilo glanced up at him. "I hope you're not offended, but," she paused. Yeah, just after saying something like 'no offense', it ran the risk of offending. "But your names are strange to me."

"Oh? I would hope that would not be a surprise, you being a foreigner in _this _land," Gimli pointed out. "Your names are peculiar as well."

Lilo smoothed out her dress. "I guess you're right."

Strider shifted from where he was sitting. "When we first encountered you two, we were troubled. Our horses had disappeared. You wouldn't have happened to see them?"

"No, sorry."

Legolas asked, "How about a heavily cloaked figure?"

Lilo shook her head. "We've only been trying to gather wood for fire ourselves when you found us." She gave a weak smile. "And we're grateful you did, for we would have been lost."

"These woods are of a mysterious ambient," explained Gimli. "Ancient as well—one must be wary of the living trees."

"Huh?"

"There are legends of great tree-beings that rule over the forests," said Legolas. "Regardless, one must have respect for breathing nature."

"Hm," Lilo thought. "I think I'll just follow your lead in this place." She stopped. "By the way, where are we?"

"We are in Rohan," Strider said, motioning to the dark forest.

"…Rohan. Right," she repeated. "I hope you understand that I have no idea where this is."

"From where do you originate?" Gimli asked.

"Hawaii."

Gimli and Legolas looked at Strider. Strider's face looked contemplative. "In my travels I have been in many mysterious, foreign lands, and have picked up numerous languages. Yet here is a place of which I have never heard, and names of which I do not know from where they come."

"It's an island in the middle of the biggest ocean," Lilo said, knowing that it wouldn't be of use. She was positive she and Stitch were on an entirely different planet.

"Across the sea?" asked Legolas, appearing more interested.

"More like half-way across the sea. From the mainland, it takes about eight hours just to _fl—,_" she stopped herself. Perhaps it was best not to talk as much. The people here seemed to be of a different time. Swords, axes, tunics—Middle Ages, she guessed. From her history class, she knew how terrible the Feudal Era could be. Perhaps she shouldn't speak of future inventions. It would probably just make her more suspicious.

The three waited for her to finish, but when she stopped speaking, Strider inquired, "What do you call this ocean?"

"Well, we call it the Pacific Ocean."

"Pacific?"

"Named for its calm waters when it was first explored."

Strider thought for a moment, looking at her curiously. "And it's etymology?"

"Ety-what?"

"What is the origin of its name?"

"Um…," Lilo hesitated, thinking it was best that maybe she not speak more about her home. Its origin was 'pax' for peace—but that was from an ancient, _Earth _language.

"Lilo, I am an explorer at heart—I only wish to know more of the world," Strider said, figuring that Lilo was willingly holding information. "Please, talk. Only if it something that you are forbidden to disclose will I forget my curiosity."

"No, it's fine. Pacific comes from 'pax', which stands for peace," she explained. If they thought that she came from the middle of the ocean, it was fine. But then something hit her. "But you know what's weird? You three speak the language _I'm _speaking!"

Legolas, Gimli, and Strider glanced at each other again. Gimli spoke, "Why yes, we do. This is Common. Everyone understands this tongue."

"No-no. You don't understand. The language I'm speaking comes from a blending of two dead tongues that formed into the one I'm speaking now. But here you guys are, clearly from a different background, speaking the same language…," she trailed off when she saw their smiles. Why, they thought this _funny_. Didn't they see the strangeness of the situation?

"Dear girl, do not worry—just feel grateful that you speak the same as all of Middle Earth," Legolas said.

But it just didn't make sense. Lilo wondered what languages formed this 'Common'. Another food for thought was what Legolas had called the world: Middle Earth. _Earth. _Lilo whipped her head around and looked at Stitch. He had caught it, too. Similarities in a different place: if this wasn't some very strange coincidence, which she dearly hoped it was, their situation might be more 'alternate universe' than just a different planet. Stitch felt his stomach, where he had swallowed the signaling device. Hopefully it would work in a different dimension.

"Now, on a more serious note," Strider said, a grim look appearing on his face. "You must tell us what the creature you walk with is."

"I said before that he's family. Well, adopted," she said firmly.

"He is not human, at least," said Gimli. "And looks fearsome."

Lilo said nothing.

"What is his species?" Strider asked. "Where did he live prior to his adoption?"

"Why would it matter to family love?" Lilo demanded. "Why…" She felt a hand on her arm—Stitch's. He nodded, asking permission for him to speak. Lilo gave a hesitant smile.

"_Stitch has no species. Stitch was created_."

The three did not seem to understand, not to mention they were clearly surprised at his nasally, quirky voice.

"It can speak," Strider leaned forward, looking at Stitch with a new regard.

"Of course it can," Lilo put her hands on her hips.

"I was kept in cage before finding family."

"Cage?" asked Legolas.

"_Mm_," Stitch nodded. "_People_ _feared Stitch—called Stitch _monster_." _His expression was so sad, it hurt Lilo deeply. She tenderly placed a hand on his shoulder. "_But_ _Stitch good now. Stitch found _ohana."

Lilo stepped in, "You see, before people did not _know _Stitch, they called him a monster just because of how he looked, of how he did not have a family. But he's changed now."

"But you must understand, with true monsters looking _clearly _unlike people of reason, many are naturally wary of anything that is different," Gimli said gently.

Lilo blinked. "You…don't know of anything that is deceiving? Anything hideous that has a heart? Anything beautiful that is terrible? These are the inconsistencies brought from misunderstanding and ignorance that cause the greatest of trifles."

Her words seemed to hit home with Gimli, Legolas, and Strider. They were thinking of something in particular, faces dark and full of worry. Lilo softened. "I understand what you are saying, of course. But I'm just trying to stick up from my friend."

"Then I suppose you know the only way to demonstrate his goodness if though an act, and not just your word," Legolas said.

Lilo nodded.

"Tell me, Lilo. How do you know to trust _us_?" Strider asked, a small smile forming on the corner of his lips.

Dang. He was right. How did she know she could trust them? She rubbed her head. "I don't know if I can," she said sadly. "But you offered me the comfort of fire and guidance as long as I don't hinder you. Like most adults, I'm guessing that you felt fearful for a young girl like me traveling alone." She looked at Strider in the eyes. "But, I trust Stitch enough to protect me if you are deceiving me."

Strider made a quick look to Stitch. Lilo guessed he was trying to measure Stitch's strength. In her mind, she smiled. There was no way the alien's strength could be determined. Even Jumba had not put a definite number on Stitch's force. At the same time, Stitch was only _one. _Against three fighters such as Gimli, Legolas, and Strider, Lilo would be a sitting duck.

"Very well," Strider eventually said. "Keep him close."

Lilo gave a gracious smile, but then frowned. Once again, she wondered what was so dangerous. The forest was one thing, but she guessed that there was something else out there. "Excuse me, but can you explain the situation _here _a little bit?"

Strider looked tiredly at her. "Perhaps another time. We must be up early tomorrow."

"Oh…" Lilo said. It seemed like that was that. From the time they first encounter each other, it seems now they at least semi-trusted her and Stitch. Tomorrow, then, she would have to develop more of their trust.

Lilo realized she couldn't get too involved in their affairs. She was the Earth's ambassador to the United Galactic Federation. As such, she should behave more like a diplomat. On this Middle Earth, she would try to be more of a representative of the Federation. Of course, there were rules to go by when having a first encounter. _Not _meddling in the planets dealings was one. Another was not revealing that they belonged to the Federation unless absolutely necessary.

She wondered how they would react to alien life forms. That, and what they would think if their rescue ship landed in the middle of the field the next day. And what if someone contacted them via the voice transmitter during something important? She would need to think of an excuse to usher Stitch away when the device rang for an incoming call.

"Something wrong?" asked Legolas, peering inquisitively at her.

"No, it's nothing."

Legolas tilted his head to the side in the most subtle of ways. The motion was so slight that Lilo almost missed it. Now, it seemed as if he was thinking about something as he remained examining her. As she gazed back, she realized how _beautiful _this person was. His skin gave off a soft, almost magical, glow. Though he appeared younger than the other two, something about his demeanor gave off something distinctly ancient.

"W-what is it?"

Strider spoke. "Young girl, my companion can tell if one is lying."

Lilo's eyes widened. "He _can_?" For some reason, she now felt a bit exposed in his presence. At the same time, she was amazed at such ability.

"So, would you tell us what is that you are thinking about?" Strider asked.

"I don't want to talk about it," she said, play-acting like a stubborn child.

"Well, then. I'm going to get some rest," Gimli said. "You look tired yourself, girl. Sleep safely for now. With Legolas on watch, you can be rest assured."

"…Thank you," Lilo said, suddenly aware of how tired she was. Gimli handed her a cloak. Cuddling underneath next to Stitch, she tried to make herself most comfortable. Around the fire, she could hear Strider and Gimli prepare their sleeping spaces as well. Legolas, it seemed, had night duty.

Unfortunately between the cool night and the cold ground, the fire did not do much. Both Lilo and Stitch lay awake, looking up at the night sky. When she heard the gentle breathing of the two other sleeping, she turned on her side to Stitch.

Her friend was busy looking at the night sky. It was partly cloudy, so most of the stars were covered. A distressed look came across his face when he caught a view of the stars though a patch of clouds—it was not their constellations.

"Stitch," she whispered, hoping that Legolas would not hear. "What can you tell?"

The experiment rubbed his eyes tiredly. "_Still looking_," he said, scanning the clear patches of sky.

"Well, if you connect those ones," she pointed upward, drawing imaginary lines between the stars, "It makes Mr. Pleakley's figure." That got a smile out of Stitch, at least.

He lifted his hand up and did the same, pointing to various stars and connecting the specks of light. "Angel."

Lilo smiled. "Miss her?"

"_Eih_."

"You'll see her again, I'm sure."

Stitch pointed to the sky again, beginning to draw. Then, he stopped. His eyes squinted at one cluster of stars, and then widened. He then counted some of the brighter stars next to it, touched his head in thought, and then recounted. Brightly, he turned to Lilo. "_Stitch knows those_."

"Huh?" She couldn't even see what he was pointing at.

"_Those not stars—planets_," he said, directing her gaze to a patch of space. Then, he pointed to another, very dim star. "That_ is their sun_."

"A solar system, then?" Lilo whispered excitedly. She narrowed her eyes. "How can you tell?"

"_Stitch's_ _eyesight good. Stitch _feel_ solar radiation wavelength reflected off objects in space_," Stitch seemed tired to explain.

"So, you recognize that one?"

"_It_ _called 'Gradua' solar system_."

Lilo became excited. "Then, then…they will find us?"

"_We very far away from nearest signal receiver_."

Lilo was just glad that they weren't completely lost. Now, if only they could find their space ship. When they had first arrive, they were both unconscious in the field. Stitch had explained that the worm hold they had drove through—on _purpose _for _fun_—had separated their bodies from their ship. Thankfully, they had ended in the same area only a couple miles from each other.

Lilo looked up at the sky, but a cloud had come overhead, blocking the starlight. She turned on her side. At least now she could sleep peacefully without feeling completely lost.

TLTLTLTLTLTLTLT

Most of the time I set a goal for my fics…like 'use this vocab word' or 'more descriptions' or 'more metaphors' or 'explain action scene.' But this one is pure crack. I mean muse. Yeah, muse.

So, if you'd like to see more, review. If you don't want to see more, review. Anything counts really. It's already mostly written out, but unless I get feedback it's going to stay between my friends and me.


	2. Developed Age has Dental Hygiene

TLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTL

The next morning they were up at dawn. They ate some sort of strange, flat bread that Lilo had never seen before. For some reason, the tiniest bite seemed to fill her up. All the hunger from not eating the previous day had disappeared. Gimli shared his canteen of water with her and Stitch. Gimli, Legolas, and Strider conversed among themselves. Occasionally, they glanced back at Lilo and Stitch. When they were all packed, Strider extinguished the fire, and they were off.

Lilo was surprised how quickly they ran. Stitch had to end up carrying Lilo just so that they could keep up with the three. They traveled across the prairie, stopping every so often so that Strider could examine the ground. His eyes were clouded and contemplative, carefully touching patches of grass here and there with the carefulness of an anthropologist. At long last, they approached an even denser wood than the patch of trees they had camped beside the previous night.

Stitch let Lilo down from his back. After being carried for some hours, her legs felt wobbly. She followed Stitch and the other up a small slope of a hill. Stitch started to look uncomfortable. He seemed repulsed at something, and scrunching his nose. Lilo realized that they had come this way before. This was the location Stitch had tried to avoid.

At the top, she saw Strider stop in this tracks and turn to his two companions. Lilo waited patiently as Gimli came towards her. "You must stay behind for a bit."

"But why?"

"There is something dreadful upon that hill you would rather not see."

"I can decide for myself what I rather not see."

"We are just concerned for someone as young as you," Gimli looked her over once before eyeing Stitch. "Will it behave?"

"_Stitch _will be fine. Won't you?" Lilo asked her friend.

Stitch, after a moment, nodded. Gimli turned and walked back up the hill to join Legolas and Strider. When Lilo rounded the top, she saw the three gathered around Strider. They were huddled over something he was holding, apparently salvaged from the nearby river. The area was like the aftermath of a decent sized scrimmage.

Burnt corpses were piled a ways off, charred bone cooled from the night. Lilo observed them with an intelligent interest. Their bone structure was not the same as humans. They were thicker, and seemed to have more places from where muscle attached to the bone. The skulls were larger, with deep grooves on the sides for powerful jaw muscles. In addition, it didn't appear that they were all the same type of creature. Some skeletons had longer limbs, others had more jagged teeth.

Stitch picked up a charred skull, flaking off pieces of charcoaled flesh. He made a face, barring his fangs at it and growling, mocking the skeleton's eternal grin. The alien then laughed, which earned him a glare from Lilo.

"Stitch," she hissed. "This is _obviously_ a grave. Show some respect."

Stitch's ears flattened, reluctantly tossing the bone back into the pile.

"No respect is due to these sanguinary enemies," Legolas said, gazing at the pile with contempt and a trace of another emotion Lilo could only describe as pity.

Lilo could only guess at what he was thinking, but she realized that the creatures were the 'danger' that the travelers had warned about.

They looked recently burned and still had traces of metal armor fastened to their bones. Hoof marks on the grass along with bits of splattered, dried blood littered the clearing. Lilo was careful not to step on any forgotten crude weapon still on the ground. She looked back at Stitch. The poor thing was holding his nose repulsively—which was just _adorable_. She couldn't resist hugging him.

"Stitch, it's okay. We'll be out of here," she looked at the corpses. It wasn't the first time she saw something gruesome. Though her many adventures of gathering all the experiments, not all of them were pleasant. That and she had enough of evil scientists and their _very _unethical experiments to last her ten lifetimes.

At this point, Strider began to stick closely to the ground, tracing some sort of invisible path. Gimli and Legolas followed. Lilo grinned, "It's like he's Sherlock Holmes—figuring out a mystery. Let's follow and see if we can be Watson." She knew the situation was a bit grim, but she had to have _some _fun, right?

Lilo and Stitch caught up with the others. Strider was speaking his conclusion. "It is our task to find him and help him before we return to Rohan. We must not be daunted by Fangorn, since need drove him into that dark place."

"I do not know which daunts me more: Fangorn, or the thought of the long road though Rohan on foot," said Gimli.

"Then let us go to the forest."

"Um, 'scuse me, but who's Fangorn?"

The three turned to Lilo. Legolas tilted his head towards the dark woods. "This great and old _forest_ is Fangorn. We must enter it to find our other companions."

"Are they lost?" she asked sadly.

"Taken, more likely," Gimli said.

"Oh, how scary," Lilo said. "By who?"

"Foes," Strider stated flatly, dropping the conversation. He began making his way into the forest. Gimli and Legolas followed.

Lilo raised an eyebrow. Just what was his problem?

Lilo and Stitch stuck close behind, but no so close that they could interfere with Strider's tracking. Of course, Stitch made it a point to explore the woods. That was reassuring, at least. If Fangorn was at all menacing, he wouldn't have started climbing the vines and branches. Lilo saw him appear amongst one tree, and then a second later he was swinging from a vine to another. She was glad he was at least having fun.

Still, Lilo was wary of the trees. Everywhere they stepped, it seemed as if the branches were following their every move. She wished then she had something with which to defend herself. Stitch was one thing, but even his protection left her sometimes vulnerable. Just then Stitch tapped her on the back.

"What?" she whispered.

"_Take,"_ he said and then shoved something into her hands.

She looked at the objet—it was a small laser gun! She gasped, "You had this all along?"

"_Shh," _he said, pressing a finger to his lips.

She guessed that he had stored it in his gut. Putting the grossness out of her mind, she stuffed the yellow hand laser into her dress pocket. Alien technology was amazing in the fact that objects were able to collapse into themselves for storage. Now, it just looked like she had some keys in her pocket.

The Federation required all of its agents the standard laser handgun, even for non-military agents like an ambassador. It was nice to have the laser on hand, but she secretly hoped she'd never have to use it.

A bit later, they came to a decent sized hill with a clearing of trees. At least in this location the sky could be seen. Towards one end there was a moderately sized rocky cliff. The three companions seemed to have their hopes up, and began climbing. Strider scanned the ledge of the rock wall carefully for marks that Lilo couldn't see. Stitch carried her on his back up the shelf.

"I am almost sure the hobbits have been up here," he mumbled, turning to Legolas and Gimli.

What in the world was a hobbit? As they talked for a bit, Lilo called Stitch over. "Any signal yet?"

Stitch patted his stomach, shaking his head 'no'. Lilo sighed.

"Look!" Legolas suddenly said. Lilo snapped her head up.

"Look at what?" Gimli asked.

"There in the trees."

"Where? I have not elf-eyes."

Elf…? Lilo looked at Legolas. Perhaps it was because she was too tired the night before, or maybe it was too dark, that she did not realize it before. From his profile, Lilo saw that his ears were slightly pointed. She blinked, jaw dropping. An _Elf_. A real Elf. She then looked at Strider—no, he at least was human. She looked at Gimli, and another realization dawned upon her. He must be a Dwarf. Whoa.

Lilo was flabbergasted. How amazing this world was. It…it had _fairy tale _creatures. Heck, it was set in medieval times. Maybe later on she would get to see a princess. Or a dragon. Or a wizard. Well that settled one thing—she could easily pass off her communication device as magic. Then Lilo thought about how Legolas could point out lies, and was back on thinking about her dilemma.

Legolas said something Lilo couldn't catch and pointed towards some low trees. Following his direction, she caught a glimpse of a figure in dirty grey rags. He was using a cane as support. The figure's posture and gait was of an elderly person. Lilo wondered how he had walked all the way here in such a state.

But for some reason, Lilo felt some sort of power overcome her, like she was gazing at something very menacing. But, why? It was just a poor, old man. Perhaps he lost his way. Yes, that was it—he just needed help. "Stitch, let's go to that man," Lilo said. The blue experiment picked up Lilo once again and started climbing down the rock wall.

"Child, stop!" Gimli yelled at Lilo, looking at the short distance between her and the mysterious old man. He turned to Legolas, "Your bow, Legolas. Bend it; get ready! It is Saruman. Do not let him speak, or put a spell upon us! Shoot first!"

His voice died out as Lilo moved farther away from the group and closer to the old man. The cloaked figured seemed to notice her, stopping in his tracks. He was hooded, with a wide brim hat shadowing even more than the branches. He seemed to be looking intently and the young girl and her companion making their way down the rock wall.

At last, they were at the bottom of the ledge once again. The old man was more than three times her size, peering down at her from under his hood. "And who might you be, little one?" he said kindly. His voice sounded old, yet oddly it had the vigor of a much younger man, carrying a static of seasoned power.

"My name's Lilo and this is Stitch," she introduced.

She could have sworn she saw the old man's eye glint under the shadows. Still, he did not introduce himself. Instead, he looked up the slope at Legolas, Gimli, and Strider. After a short silence he said, "I wish to speak to you. Will you come down like these two here did, or shall I come up?"

Then, without waiting for an answer, he picked up _both _Lilo and Stitch and started scaling the wall. "Now!" Gimli said. "Stop him, Legolas!"

"Did I not say that I wished to speak to you?" said the old man. "Put away that bow, Master Elf."

Legolas literally dropped his weapon, his arms falling limply to his sides.

"And you, Master Dwarf, pray take your hand from your axe-haft, till I am up, you will not need such arguments."

The next moment, they were on top of the cliff again, directly in front of the three. Gimli looked a bit frantic, if not extremely cautious of the old man in rags. Legolas's expression turned back to its basic curious, intrigued look. He seemed at a loss of what to do. Strider remained motionless.

The old man set Lilo and Stitch down, and began conversing with the surprised company. Lilo giggled. The old man was playing with them. Deep down, he had the heart of a trickster, all in good fun. She knew he would reveal something good in the end. Stitch poked curiously at the old man's cane. If he noticed Stitch's prodding, he gave no sign.

"Stitch," Lilo warned.

Stitch stopped bothering the cane and picked up Legolas's bow. Lilo stifled a laugh as Stitch tried to sort the weapon out. For an alien that was used to handling four laser guns at once, he was at a loss to try and pull back a bow. But Lilo took it away from Stitch anyway. "It's not yours," she said, placing it back on the ground. "You might break it."

Stitch's ears flattened in apology. Suddenly, the force exerting from the man released. The old man turned, walking towards another giant pile of moss-covered boulders. The tenseness of Gimli, Strider, and Legolas disappeared, and they all drew their weapons in a flash. Lilo stepped back, quickly looking to the old man. Was he a foe after all?

He pulled off his grey, tattered cloak, revealing immaculately white robes. This seemed to trigger something from the three.

"Saruman!" spat Gimli in disgust. He lunged toward him with his axe. "Speak: tell me where you have hidden our friend! What have you done with the? Speak, or I will make a dint in your hat that even a wizard will find it hard to deal with!"

So there were wizards in this world as well. How interesting! Though judging from how the three seemed to be angry at the man in white, not all wizards were good.

The old man stood up straight and proud as a strong light gathered around him. He lifted his staff luridly. As soon as he did so, the axe was flung from Gimli's hand. Legolas fired a shot from his bow in surprise, but the arrow disappeared in mid-air. Strider's sword burst aflame.

"Mithrandir!" Legolas shouted suddenly. "Mithrandir!"

"Well met, I say to you again, Legolas," the old man smiled.

Lilo was at a loss. So…the wizard wasn't bad? At least the Elf recognized him. Strider appeared shocked, yet obviously pleased: a small smile was on his lips. Strangely, it made him look a lot younger. Gimli was stupefied, gawking at the sight of the glowing wizard.

Strider breathed. "Gandalf. Beyond all hope you return to us in our need." He, Gimli, and Legolas crowded the old man.

"Gandalf…Yes, that was the name," the elder seemed like he was remembering something from long ago. "I was Gandalf." He paused. "Yes, you may still call me Gandalf."

"You are all in white!" exclaimed Gimli like it was something amazing. Lilo thought that it was pretty impressive, too, for keeping robes unstained like that in a muddy forest.

"Yes, I am white now," said Gandalf "Indeed I _am _Saruman, one might almost say, Saruman as heshould have been…"

Lilo and Stitch stood a ways off. It seemed to be a reunion of some sort, so she didn't want to get in their way. It was best to stay detached. At the same time, she couldn't help but not listen. So, she and Stitch pretended to play a game of tic-tac-toe in the dirt. At this point, they talked for a great while, apparently filling in this Gandalf wizard about their travels. The wizard was silent throughout the whole explanation. She sat just a ways off, pretending to draw figures in the ground with Stitch while she listened.

Whereas the night before they had been hesitant on talking to Lilo, they now spoke freely in front of her to Gandalf. Aragon mostly summed up their journeys, with some details and insight added by Legolas and Gimli. The wizard was mostly still and grave, asking no questions. The story the three told was nothing short of epic, full of fighting and mystery. Throughout their tale, the wizard had a very grim look on his face. When Strider spoke of one of their comrades dying, only then did he speak.

"It was not in vain that the young hobbits came with us, if only for Boromir's that is not the only part they have to play. They were brought to Fangorn, and their coming was like the falling of small stones that starts an avalanche in the mountains. Even as we talk here, I hear the first rumblings. Saruman had best not be caught away from home when the dam bursts."

"In one thing you have not changed, dear riend," Aragorn said. "You still speak in riddles."

"What? In riddles?" Gandalf questioned. "No! For I was talking aloud to myself, a habit of the old: they choose the wisest person present to speak to; the long explanations needed by the young are wearying."

Aragorn replied again. Most of what he said, as well as the rest of the conversation, when over Lilo's head. There were plenty of names and locations she did not recognize. What intrigued her the most, though, was their body language whenever they mentioned some sort of _ring_. Strange that every time they spoke of it a cord of apprehension played in the air. There was also some sort of Evil Lord …

She smiled to herself and tried to explain what was going on to Stitch. But Gandalf, Legolas, and Gimli were talking once again, so she fell silent and listened. It seemed that the people they were searching for were fine. Gandalf was now telling them to accompany him to a different location. "Have patience," he reassured his companions. "Go where you must go, and hope! To Edoras, I go hither also."

Strider looked dismayed. "It is a long way for a man to walk, young or old," he said. "I fear the battle will be over long ere I come there."

"We shall see, we shall see," Gandalf said as if speaking to a grandson. "Will you come with me now?"

"Yes, we will set out together," Strider said. "But I do not doubt that you will come there before me, if you wish."

Lilo stood up. It seemed as if they were leaving for some other place. "C'mon, Stitch, let's go." Stitch stood up, shaking off the dirt from his blue fur. Gandalf was now leading them out of the dense forest, explaining how he survived a near-fatal fall. Now he was relaying messages to the three from someone they knew. They sounded like cryptic warning, making Strider and Legolas uneasy. But the message ended with a warning that sounded to Lilo like a caution to stay away from the sea. She wondered what it meant.

"Hey Stitch, what happened when the apple tree married the pine tree?"

"…_eh_?"

"They made the first pineapple!"

"_Ah_…"

After a bit more walking, "Hey, Stitch, what came first: the chicken or the egg?"

"_The egg_."

"No, silly, then what laid the egg?" she asked, pleased with herself. She had learned that question in school.

"_No. The specie before chicken laid egg with mutation. Mutation caused first chicken_."

Lilo paused, thinking. "Oh. Um. Good job!" she put her hands on her hips. "You make me proud for knowing so much."

Stitch looked at Lilo with bright, black eyes. "You've taught me much more, Lilo."

Lilo's gait faltered for just a bit. There were times when Stitch's speech could use some work. However, there were those rare occasions like just now that he expressed himself perfectly, which made the sentence that weightier.

Finally, they reached the edge of the forest. It was now _only _almost noon, but Lilo felt that hours had gone by. This was going to be another long day of traveling. Her feet hurt just thinking about it. She supposed that she took space ships and hover crafts for granted too much. The exercise would do her good. She wasn't about to complain in front of her strangers. She wanted to be strong and mature and not a burden, even if it mean her blisters would bleed.

For a moment, the whole party stopped at the edge of the forest. The grass billowed, rippling like a calmly rolling sea. The glossy side of the grass shimmered like white caps. The plane was all Lilo could nee; nowhere did there appear to be settlements of any kind. "They have not returned," Legolas said, speaking of the horses. "It will be a weary walk."

Gandalf stepped forward. "I shall not walk. Time presses," he said. Pursing his lips, he whistled three times.

Each note that rang out Stitch covered his ears, looking curiously at the old man. A moment later, they heard the sound of hooves on soft ground. Lilo scanned the green plane and saw a cluster of moving dots galloping toward them.

"There is more than one horse coming," Strider said.

"Certainly," Gandalf said in a tone that said 'well, _duh_'. "We are too great a burden for one."

"There are three," Legolas gave the final number, his eyes picking up the far away creatures easily. "There is Hasufel and Arod…but another strides ahead: a very great horse. I have not seen his like before." He trailed off, thinking.

"Nor will you again," said the wizard, leaning on his cane. "That is Shadowfax. He is the chief of the _Mearas, _lord of the horses."

Lilo tuned out, looking at the beautiful creatures gallop. Their manes and tails whipped in the wind from their speed. They appeared happy, running in the open. There weren't many horses on the islands—most of them were used by tourists for trail riding. She had only been on a _pony _once. They always seemed beautiful to Lilo, like dolphins of the land creatures.

When the horses were just upon them, they whinnied in delight to see their riders. Gandalf caressed the great, white one, whispering in its ear. Up close, Lilo was amazed at their strength and beauty. It didn't take a horse breeder to know that there were taken care of well. While the great white horse was calm and regal in everyone's presence, the other two seemed cautious of coming closer to Stitch.

"We go at once to Meduseld, the hall of its master, Théoden," the old man said, speaking to the horses. Lilo wondered if they actually comprehended. She was surprised to see the creatures nod their heads like they did. Gandalf continued, "Time presses, so with your leave, my friends we will ride. We beg you to use all the speed that you can. Hasufel shall bear Aragorn and Arod, Legolas and Gimli. This young child and her friend shall be set before me, and by his leave Shadowfax shall bear us three."

With that, Gandalf lifted Stitch and Lilo upon the lord of the horses. The man was full of surprises—for his age, it should have been hard to pick up bifocals off the ground, but here he was lifting Lilo and Stitch with ease! Lilo was one weight, but Stitch was something else entirely.

Lilo's legs barely made it over the horse. She worried how long she'd last before falling off. Stitch was seated in front of her, clearly uncomfortable. Lilo whispered in his ear, "Unless you can run about twenty miles per hour, I think you should stay on this horse with me."

Stitch only grumbled. At last, the others mounted their respective horses. Gandalf leapt lightly onto Shadowfax behind Lilo. "Will you two be alright?" he asked. "Ask Shadowfax for permission to hold onto his mane."

Lilo nodded and did so. Surprisingly, the horse tossed its head in response. Lilo guessed that meant yes, and gripping its soft hair, wrapping her arms around Stitch. They began at a good pace. As Lilo got into the rhythm of the canter she felt more secure. Stitch seemed to be faring better as well.

The scenery flashed by from the forest to a flatter, open land. There were no trails or roads on the ground, but the great horse seemed to know just the route to take. At some points, the grass was so high it came up to the knees of the horses. The mountains were clearly seen though the brightness of the day, purple peaks sparkling. There were few clouds rolling in the sky in this part of the land, but looking in another direction Lilo could still see the dark, ashy cumulus storms clouding over the far west.

Gandalf caught her gazing at the dark storm. "Over there lies a land of darkness," he said gravely. "It would do you well not to be curious as to what that storm shadows."

Lilo looked away. "It just seems odd, is all. Every place should have storms at least some of the time. Why should that area get all the rain?"

The old man gave a grim chuckle. "Child, that is no ordinary storm. It brings no water to quench—just the opposite. It is a dry, smothering atmosphere that curses those mountains, plaguing it with fire and ash."

"You mean a volcano?"

He paused. "Why, yes."

"But volcanoes are good, natural geological processes," she said. "They literally created the place where I live."

"But they are dangerous, no?"

"Yes, but still. Their good uses—from energy to land formation—outweigh the bad, right?" she said. "If you can't beat it, then you use it, right?"

"You think like a very practical _Man. _A very educated one, in fact," he commended, but his eyes narrowed. "But you see, even I know the benefits of the natural, untamed earth. I am not referring to Nature. I apologize for my speech, but I was using the notion of the storm and volcano as a metaphor."

"…What's a metaphor?"

"A literally device, young one, that poetically expresses comparisons," he explained, chuckling. "You seem to know much about the world, yet at the same time…"

"Then, what were you trying to say?"

He sighed. "A warning to you, saying that place is dangerous, regardless of storms and volcanoes."

"Hm…"

"Your friend feels it, correct?" he said, indicating Stitch.

Lilo glanced at Stitch, who was leering at the darkness of the west. "Stitch, is that true? Is that why you didn't want to head over that way?"

"_Eih._"

"You could have just said so," Lilo hated when people didn't explain their reasons. She huffed. "So, then, what's so dangerous about it?"

Gandalf looked ahead, his sight in a different place for a moment. The wrinkles on his face seemed to become deeper when he thought more about it, and a frown crawled from under his long white beard. "Our Enemy is harbored there. He grows stronger with each passing hour, hording ranks of Orcs to form his army. His only goal is to destroy all that is good."

"Oh, so the Evil Lord you mentioned in that long story lives _there_!" Lilo exclaimed and then covered her mouth.

"Do not fret; I knew you and your friend were listening. I did not speak any differently if you hadn't been."

"Ah, well…okay," Lilo was at a loss for words.

"My only concern is—why did you put up that deceiving front? I do not think you are a spy for the Dark One," he paused, and Lilo suddenly felt a pressure on her heart, "But even _my _power may be clouded by one who has been directly touched by _him_."

"No, no!" Lilo stuttered, scared to breathe. "It was something else. _Please_." Was this the wizard's power? It was frightening, that was for sure. She felt that her muscles were relaxed, but at the same time she felt like there was an iron fist clenching her insides.

"I would like to hear your reason." His voice seemed enchanting, as if it could convince her to tell all her secrets.

But Lilo tried her best to remain strong. "I…_can't. _I'm not allowed unless absolutely necessary."

"I can be your friend—I won't tell a single soul."

"I'm sorry," Lilo struggled.

"You can trust your secret with me."

"I…uh…," she felt her will slowly being overtaken by the enchantment.

Stitch let out a loud growl. The rumbling was so forceful and menacing that the two other horses heard it, breaking their canter. Legolas with Gimli had to steady theirs, Strider gripped the reigns tightly. Even Shadowfax stirred; he stopped, cocking his head in a proud, threatening way at Stitch.

So now all three horses were halted. The blue alien turned to face Gandalf, still letting out a growl. For a moment, they only stared at each other. The next, they both stopped at once. Lilo felt the spell fade away like a bad headache. Shadowfax blew out his nostrils in annoyance.

"Gandalf, is everything fine?" Strider said, trotting up next to them.

"I heard a growl from Stitch," Legolas said, looking guarded.

"My friends, it is quite alright," said Gandalf. "Just a misunderstanding. Let us be on our way!" They sprung into a canter again, going a bit faster at first to make up for the lost time. After a moment he said to Stitch and Lilo, "I apologize. I only want to be sure of where you stand, so that my companions are safe."

Lilo breathed. Had that been some sort of spell? Is that what magic was? It was scary, that was for sure. Yet at the same time, she felt that she knew the feeling from before. In fact, one of the experiments had a similar presence that made one want to confess. Normally, she would shout—but no, she wanted to act more like the ambassador she thought she should be. And that meant forgiving. "I understand," she said quietly, forcing the questions back down her throat. "I would probably be suspicious in your position, too."

"So, then…if you are not working for the Dark Lord, are you an ally?" he tried a different question.

Lilo didn't think answering would be out of bounds. "Well, I'm not against you…but I'm not for you, either. Does that make sense?"

"Perfectly. But can you truly stand by and just watch thousands of lives being destroyed by his evil deeds?"

He got her on that one. Lilo cringed. "You're not making this easy," she said, guessing that he was smiling from behind her. In truth, the best way to not interfere was to be detached from affairs. "It's none of my business. But your story was just so interesting; Stitch and I couldn't help but listen!"

"I have many more tales to recount," Gandalf said. "So, why won't you tell me some of yours and I will say mine?"

It really was against the Federation rules to associate with anyone. Even now, she felt she was going over the lines. But she and Stitch couldn't possibly survive alone in this foreign world. Lilo was glad to be found by such people; most men would be less accepting, especially of Stitch. At least they didn't shoot on sight.

"Sorry, Mr. Wizard," she finally said. "All I can say is that we're lost. But I can't explain anything else. Please understand." That they were lost _technically _wasn't true. Stitch did say he recognized a nearby (relatively speaking) cluster of stars.

"My friends tell me last night you mentioned some things."

"Eh-heh. That was because I was tired and forgot that I had, um, rules to go by."

"So there are rules to follow, one being that you can't interfere and another saying that you mustn't reveal too much of yourself. Well, your clothing is thinner than ours, and you live in on an island that probably has a volcano," Gandalf seemed to do a mental check. His eyes gleamed. "I say you're doing a _good _job so far."

Was that sarcasm? "Hey, I _am _just a kid," she protested.

"And what was that about a solar system?"

"Huh-what?" Lilo felt her stomach twist. When had…? Oh, that's right: last night, when she and Stitch were gazing at the stars. But they were whispering! How could anyone have heard them?

"You forget my companion Legolas is an Elf," Gandalf reminded, as if he read the questions in her mind. "Their hearing is far superior to Man's. He told me what he knew about you."

"Oh. Right—an elf," Lilo said, thinking that if she ever wanted a private conversation she would have to walk a mile or more away like she had to whenever Stitch threatened to eavesdrop.

"And if you didn't know, Gimli is a Dwarf."

"Yeah, I kinda guessed that."

"But you seemed surprised when you first found out," Gandalf said.

"That's true. But surprises come to me every day."

"My friend Aragorn can read faces well. He tells me as if you first _disbelieved _that they were a Dwarf and an Elf, as if you did not believe they existed."

Indeed, Lilo at first was totally shocked. Elves and Dwarves were supposed to creatures of myth—not _aliens. _But she couldn't say anything to that—it would probably reveal too much. This old man was tricky. If not by force, he was trying to get her to spill the beans by playing the friend. She glared at him.

He smiled back. "Have you ever thought that perhaps _I _could help you find your way back?"

Unless he had a space ship hidden under his cloak, she highly doubted it. "I don't think so."

"But you do not _know _so." His fell silent for a moment before saying, "The world is a mysterious place."

"I think it's awesome," Lilo smiled.

"It is indeed something to be marveled."

"I'll tell you this: from what I've seen of this place, I am very glad we got lost _here _and not somewhere else."

"If that is the case, then I hope you do not change your mind when you see the darker side of this Middle Earth," he seemed a bit sorrowful. "It is a shame, but times were not always like these."

"Change must happen if you want to move forward," Lilo said. "Perhaps this is progress."

"You are of an ill mind to think of _war _as progress."

"War? Uh, I didn't know that…," she trailed off. She had thought it was just these guys against one evil dude.

"Yes, my dear. These are not just meager battles between us and the Evil Lord. This involves, or will soon involve, every race and land: an ultimate battle for freedom against an oppressing force," he said. "Throughout the ages, it was always churning at the surface, ready to boil over. Now, it seems that time is upon us. Change was inevitable, but if the forces of good perish, then there will be no progress."

Lilo hung her head. Quietly, she spoke. "I know this is childish in a way, but I always try to look at the good things. Given a choice, I would elect to never have war. But since, like you said, that battle is bound to happen, the only thing I can do it look for the tiniest shred of light."

"To remain optimistic in dark times, I see," Gandalf nodded. "That is a good practice. It gives some hope. In Middle Earth, hope is kindled."

"Like how medicine and procedures seem to boost in their efficiency during war time. The more powerful the weapon, the more powerful the drug," she tried to explain.

"Necessity is the mother of invention," Gandalf agreed, falling silent. "But I will say this about our history: it has been consistent for many, many, _many_ generations."

"What do you mean?" Lilo asked, confused.

"I mean the state of the world: its system, its people, its culture. The _time_ is not moving forward," his eyes narrowed.

"That's ridiculous. There is no environment that does not change," she was so confused by his statement that she used a double negative.

"Oh, to be sure, there are small changes here and there. On the other hand, people have lived exactly the same for thousands of years."

"Thousands of years?" Lilo wondered how that could be possible. At least on her Earth, the middle ages only lasted _one _millennia. Then in the last five hundred years, the inhabitants had circumnavigated the globe, been to the depths of the ocean, and landed on Mars. And that was _nothing_ compared to the progress of other alien races.

"Your expression reads distraught," Gandalf said.

"I'm…uh…wow," was all she could manage. "Your libraries are probably overflowing with history books."

"This land is old, and the people are ancient," he looked at her curiously.

"Well, old people are known _not_ to like change," Lilo shrugged. "Though…if all the old people had half the energy as you, I'm sure it's not _that _bad."

She saw the man smile slightly like he was musing on another memory. Then he said, "But now _I _am saying too much. Of course, I have little to which compare Middle Earth. Perhaps you can say tell me something of your land?"

"Um, okay," Lilo shrugged. "So you think this might just be the trigger needed to advance?"

"It could indeed be Nature's gamble to finally allow progression. If so, it is a bit cruel. Yet, it is beyond me. Like you said, I would rather things stay the same than risk many innocent lives."

Lilo nodded. "This war is something else, huh," she said.

"Indeed," he paused. "Now that I've told a little bit about this land, won't you disclose something of yours?"

Lilo's jaw dropped. "You're very devious, aren't you? Didn't you enjoy that talk for the sake of conversation? Or was it all a ruse?"

"Not at all. Some wisdom can only be accessed through the eyes of a child. I very much enjoyed our little talk," he smiled. "But I would like to hear of your background."

"I wouldn't tell my background to a stranger."

"Then I'll just have to become your friend," Gandalf said. "I would like to learn more of your people, especially since your kind produced such an insightful person—that and of your blue friend here."

"He and I share the same story."

"I would assume so," Gandalf said. "My companions tell me that you two claim to be family. You used some sort of foreign word to describe it…?"

Since she already revealed as much, Lilo said, "Yeah… we're _ohana. _It means family."

"I see. It is a very exotic, rounded word for 'family'," he commented.

"Uh…thanks?"

"I find linguistics very interesting," he chuckled. "Well, Stitch, what do you have to say about your family?"

Stitch had been silent so far the entire ride, so he seemed hesitant to speak. Slowly he said, "_I_ belong."

Lilo hugged Stitch. She knew how much family meant to him.

"_It_ _means nobody gets left behind_," Stitch continued, "_Or forgotten_."

"How touching. But obviously, you are not directly related to Lilo. Care to explain how you two met?"

Stitch looked at Lilo, unsure of how to answer. Lilo shrugged. Stitch said, "_Stitch was bought…as a pet. But then I proved that I was equal to anybody else_."

"Well, that was quite the abridged story," the wizard said, obviously disappointed. "I suppose you won't elaborate."

"_It's classified_," Stitch said.

Lilo was starting to like the old man. He was kind to Stitch. Unlike the hesitant way Gimli, Legolas, and Strider treated Stitch, Gandalf spoke to the alien like he spoke to Lilo: caringly, but still holding an adult-like authority. If Lilo could have a grandfather as a best friend, it would be Gandalf.

"Mr. Gandalf…you are not afraid of Stitch?" Stitch asked timidly.

"I was more surprised and intrigued than scared. You're quite the odd fellow," he said honestly, reaching over and patting him on the head. "But aren't we all? On the other hand, anything that does not come from this world is out of place. So, you two must be _naturally _odd."

Lilo didn't quite follow, but it was funny to hear the old man try to explain his thoughts. It sounded like he was talking to himself.

After talking for a bit more he said, "I must apologize on behalf of my companions for calling you a fiend. But just wait—over time, they will learn of your true, good nature."

"Speaking of which," Lilo said. "Why were they so offended when I said everyone could be a monster? I mean, I _know _it was rude, but anyone with half a brain for philosophy could see my point."

"Yes, they also told me of that little outburst." Gandalf looked thoughtful once again. "It comes with the culture of Middle Earth. Especially amongst the Elves, who pride themselves as benevolent beings, your comment would have no small effect. You should be glad that Legolas is so perceptive and understanding to willingly associate with Men and Dwarf alike, let alone wave away such an insult."

"Oh. I guess I should keep my mouth shut more often."

"Never think that. In fact as a child, you can get away with more than most," he winked. "But just keep in mind of the _possible _repercussions."

"Yes, Sir," said Lilo.

They rode throughout the entire day, though late afternoon, and into the night. Only at night did they stop for only a few hours of rest. Gandalf seemed to be impatient with their traveling. To him time was pressing, and the more they dallied, the stakes increased. For what he was rushing, he did not say.

Lilo and Stitch took a quick nap. It seemed like the moment her head fell to the ground she fell asleep, only to be shaken awake again. Not that she could get any comfortable sleep in the chill night. She dreaded mounting Shadowfax, her legs and tailbone were sore from the long ride. But the company needed to continue their journey.

They traveled throughout the night. At one point Lilo wondered if she could fall asleep in the saddle, but decided that it would be more dangerous than pleasant. She looked up at the passing stars, hoping that one star would start blinking and then turn out to be a space ship. To her misfortune, no such thing happened. So, she and Stitch only looked at the tiny, twinkling lights.

At long last, the night was broken by the rising sun. The grey fog of morning began to take over the land, low clouds rolled down from the cold mountains. At one point, Gandalf slowed. They were nearer to the mountains in the east, but not by much. A little ways off from the gigantic formations Lilo could see a glimmer of a river and a humble mountain.

Gandalf and Legolas were speaking. Lilo tapped Stitch on his shoulder. "What is it?" she asked.

"_Town_," he replied tiredly. It seemed that the ride had worn him out too. "_Shiny building on top_." Just as he said it, the rising sun peeked through the fog and caught light on the hill and river. Lilo saw a glimmer of reflected golden light from its acropolis. The river beside it glimmered in the morning light.

When Gandalf was done talking with Legolas, they continued on their way. In this area, the land was saturated with runoff from the nearby rivers. It was almost like a marsh, with willow trees scattered across the banks. There was a much trampled on path across the low banks to the uplands, leading towards the town. They followed the trail, coming ever closer to the walled hills.

Gandalf explained to Lilo, "This is Edoras, where dwells Théoden son of Thengel, King of the Mark of Rohan. I caution you to be courteous amongst these men." He looked at Stitch with pondering eyes. "As for Stitch…"

"He can act like a dog. A very sick dog," Lilo quickly suggested. She started tearing up her sundress even more, bandaging him up and making him look like he injured his leg. When she was done, she looked him once over. "You look like a zombie," she laughed.

Stitch pretended to be a groaning zombie. "_Braaiinss_."

Lilo laughed. "Stitch, Dogs don't talk, remember?"

He curtly nodded. "_Stitch's got it covered. Bark_ _bark."_

"We might just have the next Oscar-winning actor here," Lilo joked.

"_Stitch thank Academy and_—"

"Enough, you two. We are approaching the gates," Gandalf warned. Then, producing a cloak out of nowhere he handed it to Lilo. "Your attire is too flashy. Later you must find clothes of this place."

Lilo and Stitch stopped fooling around. As they approached the town, Lilo saw it to be a moderate sized place for its time. A formidable wall encircled Edoras, its outer face wind-swept and tested. Men in bright chainmail manned the gates, and once they caught sight of the rider they sprung to their feet. They brandished their spears, blocking their entrance into the town. To Lilo, it sounded like they were speaking an Eastern European language, but it was beyond her to what country it actually belonged.

Gandalf was talking in the same language to them, probably convincing in his wizard-like way to let them pass. Now Strider was talking as well. Only Legolas, Gimli, Lilo and Stitch were left out of the conversation. Though, a little while later she heard Gandalf speak their names. The guards looked in wonder at them, from the Elf to the Dwarf, then from Lilo to Stitch.

One of the guards left, and then a bit later he returned. He motioned for them to follow. Once inside, they dismounted their horses and followed the guard up a series a hills. Lilo got a proper look at the town. There were no paved roads, probably because of the horses. The buildings were permanent structures at the most two stories high. Most of the population was fair skinned, with corn-colored hair. Both men and women wore it long, and more often braided than free.

Men and women were beginning their days, hurrying from place to place. People looked on at them, amazed at the strange visitors. More so, they looked curiously at Lilo. Compared to the rest, her long black hair and dark skin seemed to stand out more than Stitch's blue fur! Lilo saw some children playing off to the side. She waved to them, but they ran away. She slowly lowered her hand and faced forward, feeling out of place. Which she hated.

They at last came to a green terrace, with a sort of golden palace set on top. She wondered how long it took to build such a structure, and how many battle it took to obtain all that gold. Two gilded guards manned its entrance. The rose at their presence, waiting patiently for them to ascend the stone cut stairs before speaking.

"Hail, comers from afar," they both saluted by touching their swords. Lilo was surprised that they were speaking in English—she shook her head—_Common. _One of them stepped forward. "I am the Doorward of Théoden," he said. "Hama is my name. Here I must bid you lay aside our weapons before you enter."

It seemed perfectly reasonable to Lilo. After all, it seemed Gandalf's intention was to meet the king. Legolas readily handed his bow and quiver, along with a silver knife, to a guard. Strider was more hesitant. "It is not my will to put aside my sword or to deliver Anduril to the hand of any other man."

"It is the will of Théoden," Hama said.

"It is not clear to me that the will of Théoden son of Thengel, even though he be lord of the Mark, should prevail over the will of Aragorn son of Arathorn, Elendil's heir of Gondor."

Lilo's head snapped up. What was this now? Strider was actually a _lord_, a prince (or something like it) no less. Strange how he was traveling and fighting like any other warrior and not sitting on a throne. Then again, why was he saying his title now, when to Lilo he first gave a false name? She supposed that he only wanted to use his legacy sparingly. Still, she wished he had been more honest. Then again, she wasn't being entirely honest with the travelers, either.

Wait—she wasn't supposed to get too caught up. She shook her head, looking off into the distance. As they sorted things out with the guards, Stitch was itching his bandaged leg.

The guard then approached Lilo. "Can I help you?" she asked.

"It is a dark time when I have to check a child: have you any weapons?" he asked.

She gave him a dubious look. "Are you _kidding _me?" Then, catching a stern gaze from Gandalf she quickly lied, "No, Sir. I have none." The collapsed laser in her pocket seemed to weigh a lot more than it usually did. She hoped that the guards of the middle ages weren't as strict as the airport security.

"And…um…that?" he asked about Stitch.

The alien remember he was supposed to be a dog, quickly dropping on all fours. "_Bark._"

The guard gasped. "There is something wrong with his voice," he backed away. "An illness?" He looked at Gandalf. "You brought a diseased animal into these walls?"

"It is true that this young canine is ill; however, its disease is its alone. It will not pass to any human."

The guard still looked cautious. "If am afraid that given the circumstances, I cannot fully trust your words. It must remain out here, for our Lord of the Mark should remain as healthy as possible."

Gandalf looked as if he were about to argue, but stopped. He exhaled. "So be it," he said, turning to Lilo. "You remain outside as well. We won't be long. When the time comes, I will send for you. For the moment, watch your friend."

Lilo nodded, a bit disappointed. She wanted to see what it was like inside the halls. She wondered what a real king looked like. In her imagination, a king was a middle-aged man with a gold crown, medals on a sash, and maybe a sword for decoration. A king did not look like the muddy and messed-up-hair Strider. Although at some points he looked like a thoughtful noble when his mind was concentrated on something important, Strider still appeared like anyone else in the era: un-bathed and rough.

"C'mon, Stitch. Let's see if we can find something do to," she said leading the way back to the village.

As they walked, more people turned looking at the two. They spoke in whispers of their language. Some of them were pointing. Well, first thing was first: she had to find some proper clothes. Clothes that fit the environment, clothes that were durable; in short, _not_ the clothes one would find on lax tropical islands.

She approached some older villagers. The man and woman had mud on their faces and callused hands. Some of their teeth were rotten or missing. She wondered if it was just their lifestyles that made them appear older than they looked. They eyed her suspiciously.

"Hello there. My name is Lilo," she said.

The two villagers looked confused at first. Then, the woman spoke in heavily accented English. "Greetings."

"I was wondering where to buy some clothes."

The woman nodded and pointed to herself. "I am a seamstress."

"Then, could you show me what you have?"

"What have you to trade, My Lady?" the woman crossed her arms.

Lilo stopped. What _did _she have to trade? She also wondered if they were in a world where currency had not been standardized. Perhaps this world was still on simply bartering goods. How interesting! But the woman's words made Lilo do a double take. She had called Lilo 'My Lady' out of respect, which was weird, because Lilo did not feel anything _royal_ about herself at the moment.

"No, ma'am. I'm not noble," she gently corrected.

"But your dress…and your skin hasn't got one blemish on it," the woman was surprised. "And for someone your age, you carry yourself very well."

Here Lilo paused again. Perhaps to these people, she did appear noble. She remember in her history class that in the middle ages, pigments were scarce in clothes—especially the bright red and white floral pattern of her own dress. Even torn in some places, it was still far better looking than half of what the villagers were wearing.

In addition, Lilo did not look as gruff as the people. It wasn't just her skin or hair color, but rather her whole complexion. She had perfect, white teeth. Her hands had been blistered from some work, but nothing compared to the labor of the inhabitants of Middle Earth. All of her scars were tanned over as well.

Probably the most different thing about her was her grace. Years of practicing hula had given her poise akin to a professional dancer. She now saw that compared to the stooping villagers, she was holding herself up high and proper. No wonder the lady thought she came from a good background.

"Sorry, I'm not," Lilo said, getting an idea. "How about I trade you _my _dress for _one_ of yours? In my size, of course."

The woman thought for a bit. "But your gown is so beautiful. I would be cheating you out of the deal, Miss."

"Don't worry."

The woman nodded. "Follow me."

Some minutes later, Lilo had discarded the red sundress for a tunic and leggings. The wool was stuffy and itchy, but at least it would keep her warm. "What do you think, Stitch?" Lilo asked when they were walking away from the shop.

"_Meega think it's practical." _

"Yeah, if you mean uncomfortable. It's so stuffy. How do people _live _in cold places?"

Stitch shrugged.

"Ah, Miss! You forgot this, um, thing!"called a voice.

Lilo and Stitch turned to see the seamstress running up to them, waving the laser gun in the air. _Very precariously _waving the _laser gun _in the air. The gun was held upside down pointed unintentionally at herself. Thumb on the trigger.

Lilo's eyes went wide when she saw a little glowing light on the side of the weapon—the safety was off. One wrong move and that woman would have a two foot hole in her chest. Lilo waved her arm around frantically. "Stop!"

"Huh?—oh!"

Stitch leapt at the woman, grabbing the weapon out of her hand. He twirled it in the air and flipped the safety off, handing it back to Lilo.

Lilo turned to the lady apologizing. "I am _so _sorry for that," she breathed. "But that was extremely dangerous."

"Dangerous? It looks like an expensive toy."

"Some like to think of it as that," Lilo said grimly, shifting her eyes to the side and then back at the woman. "Nothing happened, right?"

If the seamstress had been confused before, she was now completely lost. "Nothing at all."

"Good," Lilo pocketed the laser.

The woman's eyes went wide. "How did you do that?"

Lilo wanted to kick herself. She asked innocently, "Do what?"

"That toy fit in the pocket, yet it is nearly twice the size of your hand!"

"Uh…magic."

"You are a sorceress?" the woman's demeanor then changed, as if she both awed and feared Lilo.

Lilo stuttered, "Y-yeah."

"'Yeah'?"

"It means 'yes'," she quickly explained.

"Ah, I see. Your language is very interesting."

"Yeah. I mean, yes. I mean, never mind. 'Kay bye," Lilo said, turning to leave.

"'Kay bye'," she heard the woman repeat.

Oh, what had she done but introduce slang into an old form of their language? This would turn interesting. When she was speaking with Gandalf, he had not questioned her language. She figured he was smart enough to infer what her slang meant.

"_Lilo_," Stitch said as they walked.

"What's up?"

"_What_ _is_ _magic_?"

TLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLT

Also, as of now, it's pretty much book-verse, but next chapter will have that epic movie wolf-attacks-refugee-line scene that was only in the movie. Which means the women and children will be with the men at Helm's deep as well as Eowyn…Cuz we need MOAR action. Yeah…I'm going to start including more movie scenes now.

If you don't like it, review! I you like it, review! I'm not picky with criticism or just the plain old 'good job update soon' thing.


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